High-Protein Chickpea Quinoa Salad Recipe
8-Ingredient High-Protein Chickpea Quinoa Salad. Meal-prep friendly. Gluten-free. Makes 5 weekday lunches.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 469kcal
Equipment
- 5 24-ounce (710 mL) wide-mouth Mason jars optional
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
- Dash of paprika (optional)
- Dash of garlic powder (optional)
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- ½ cup dry quinoa or 2 ½ cups cooked
- 5 Roma tomatoes diced (about 2 ½ cups)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 large English cucumber diced (about 3 ⅓ cups)
- 1 ⅔ cups diced red onion (about 1 medium)
- 7 tablespoons hemp seeds or hearts (optional)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Roast the chickpeas (optional): Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Rub the chickpeas between layers of a kitchen or paper towel to dry. Transfer them to a large bowl. Add a generous dash of paprika, garlic powder, and salt, plus a drizzle of olive oil. Toss until evenly coated. Place them on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 15 minutes. Change the oven setting to broil and cook for about 3 minutes more, or until crispy.
- Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the packet. Set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to a large rimmed dish to cool.
- Drain tomatoes (optional): Meanwhile, transfer the chopped tomatoes to a strainer. Add a generous dash of salt and toss until evenly coated. Set aside to drain. Toss the tomatoes to remove excess liquid.
- Make the jars (optional): Place 5 (24-ounce) Mason jars in a row. To each jar, add 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ⅔ cup diced cucumber, ½ cup diced tomatoes, ⅓ cup diced red onion, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chickpeas, ½ cup cooked quinoa, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hemp seeds, and 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- For serving: Jars: Invert the jar and shake it over a medium bowl. Mix to combine. Add salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.Skip the jars and combine the salad and dressing in a large bowl instead. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- Roasting the chickpeas, and salting the tomatoes, adds more depth of flavor, but these steps are optional. Roast chickpeas on a large rimmed sheet in a single layer for crispiest results. The broil setting is equivalent to the grill setting on some ovens.
- Drain the tomatoes well before adding them to the jars.
- Cook the quinoa in vegetable broth instead of water for additional flavor.
- Mason jars: Refrigerate them lid-side up for up to 5 days.
- Skip the jars and combine the salad and dressing in a large bowl instead. Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Jar | Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 935IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 7mg
